A Warm Gathering of Alumni

It was a warm interlude in more ways than one for Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Nasir Memon, who also serves as Tandon’s Associate Dean for Online Learning. In mid-February, he visited balmy Florida to address attendees at the All NYU Boca Raton Alumni gathering. There he received warm, appreciative applause for his deeply relevant and informative presentation, which centered on alarming developments in fake media technology using artificial intelligence — specifically DeepFakes, which can make it look as if anyone has said or done anything. He shared news of exciting technology developed at NYU and elsewhere that may help combat these attacks on the very notion of what is true, when images and videos can no longer be fully trusted.

Also in attendance were NYU Tandon School of Engineering Polytechnic Alumni Association board member Leandro Rocha Maciel (’93), a year-round resident of the state, and Director of Alumni Relations Valerie Cabral, who enjoyed Florida’s lack of snow and ice during her visit and said, “We are grateful to Professor Memon for taking time from his busy schedule to keep our alumni abreast of this disturbing trend, what Tandon faculty and students are doing to mitigate it, and how they, themselves, can recognize online manipulation.”